Chapter Four

Aurora's POV

Oh no no no no no.

I was on the verge of screaming my lungs out but I held it back by swallowing it.

He walked up to the stage, then let out a deep breath. "Good morning everyone. I'm Zane Wilson, the CEO of sterling innovations."

Everyone's eyes were glued to him, everyone except me. It felt as if the ground should open up and swallow me whole.

He began to speak, his voice was deep, filling the whole room. I barely registered anything he said, my mind still reeling from the unexpected confrontation. 

This was a disaster. A complete and utter disaster.

My CEO was my one-night stand.

I needed to get out of here. Now!

I took a step back, intending to slip out the door unnoticed, but it was too late.

His eyes followed my movements, his smile widening a bit. "Well, I don't have much to say, however I look forward to hearing to know all of you,"

And then, his gaze landed directly on me, lingering for a beat too long. "Especially you Miss Lupin,"

H-how did he know my full name?

I opened my mouth wide to speak- to say something! An explanation or whatever but no sound came out. My vocal cords seemed to have stayed a walk out.

"Leaving so soon, is that right?" He asked, his brows arched in amusement. Everyone's eyes were on me now. I saw Karen staring at me with a confused look, her expression was a mix of concern and shock.

I swallowed hard and took a step forward, forcing my legs to cooperate.

"Pardon me, Mr. Wilson," I cleared my throat, trying to sound brave. "I needed to use the bathroom."

It was a lame excuse, I knew that, but it was the best I could come up with under pressure.

I could practically feel the collective eye-roll of the room.

"You need to learn endurance, Miss Lupin." He said, his voice laced with disdain. There was a smattering of snickers from some of the newer employees. Karen stared at me with sympathy, her usual bubbly demeanor was replaced with a worried frown.

"I apologize sir." I mumbled, bowing my head slightly.

He said nothing and flickered his gaze back to the crowd. The meeting went on for almost 30 minutes before it finally ended, but to me, it felt like an eternity. By the time he was done, everyone filed out of the room. As I was about to turn and leave, to escape this awkward atmosphere, I heard him call my name from behind.

"Aurora Lupin."

I slowly turned to face him. He had a frown etched on his face, his eyes were dark and unreadable. 

"My office, now." Was all he said, and walked away, his broad shoulders disappearing through the door.

I-what?

I was dumbfounded. Oh heavenly father, please take me now.

This was definitely not how I pictured my first week going. Karen walked up to me with a frown on her lips.

"Oh shit, Aurora. I just pray you won't be in trouble," she said in a hushed tone. 'Mr Wilson is extremely strict....why did you do that?"

She began to blurt out a string of concerned questions, but I couldn't pay attention. All I could think of was running away, but that would be plain stupid.

Might as well also get me fired.

I looked down at Karen, trying to muster a reassuring smile. "I'll be back."

She let out a deep breath and rubbed her temple. "Just be safe."

I nodded and began to walk away, headed for his office. I caught up to him in the hallway, he looked like he had been waiting for me. He said nothing and continued waiting, I followed him down the hallway, trying to maintain a respectable distance. Each step felt like walking the plank.

We reached the elevator, and he pressed the button for the top floor. The elevator doors slid open, and we both stepped inside. The silence was deafening, thick with tension..

"So," he began, his voice cutting through the quiet. "Running off is your thing, perhaps?"

I wanted to open my mouth to speak, but instead, I pretended not to hear him, focusing my gaze somewhere else. If I acted like he wasn't there, maybe he would just disappear.

As I kept quiet, so did he. I began to wonder if I could survive on unemployment benefits.

The elevator doors finally opened, and he stepped out, his expensive shows clicking against the marble floor. I followed him, my heart pounding against my ribs. He strolled towards a giant, imposing door and went in, the door clicking closed with a firm shut.

Sucking in a deep breath, I walked in and gently closed the door behind me. "I'm sorry Mr Wilson. Pardon my behavior earlier." I said with a small bow, trying to project an air of professionalism I didn't quite feel.

He didn't respond, instead, he threw something at me. The object landed with a soft thud at my feet, I looked down to see my tiny purse, the one I had used that night.

My breath hitched in my throat as I stared at it.

"You forgot that," he said. Suddenly, he started walking closer towards me, instinctively, I moved back, but he blocked me by placing both hands on the wall beside my head, trapping me.

He was too close. This wasn't good at all, I hated how his cologne filled my senses. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, and I swear to God the heat radiating from my own body wasn't playing either!

Memories of that night came in hard and I felt like dying at this moment.

He then removed one hand from the wall and used it to lift up my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"You really think running away is always the best option?"

I swallowed hard, trying to regain some semblance of composure. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He arched his brow. "Oh really? You don't remember anything? At all?"

I arched a brow back at him. "What should I remember?"

He leaned in closer, immediately I bent down, ducking under his arm and stood opposite him, putting a safe distance between us.

"This is unprofessional, sir. I would appreciate it if you don't do this again."

He stepped back and sat on the edge of his massive desk, crossing his arms over his chest, my eyes betrayed me by trailing up and down his exposed arms thanks to the sleeves he folded up.

No no no- I shook my head to dispel the thoughts in my head.

I can't let one good night ruin my life.

"You're quite the actress," he said in an amused tone.

I looked up at him. "And you're quite wrong."

I glanced down at my purse and said a silent prayer in my head. Thank God I had removed the pregnancy test and other personal things. Only my passport was inside now. "I'm not who you think I am," I said, looking back at him, meeting his intense gaze. "You're mistaken." Was all I said before turning and leaving his office.

As soon as the door clicked shut, I leaned against it, my legs suddenly weak.

What had I gotten myself into?